The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-01-29

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to leave you here, Mr.. Dwight"
II am sorry for that!'
Dear me! How much farther are
you goingp" exclaimed q dclicate-look-
ing lady who came up under the escort
of the guides.
''Why, we are not more than quar-
ter of the way up, Mrs. Norton" Henry
replied.
Mercy! You will never come back
alive"
IA great many men have come and
gone before me-"
81 am so thankful Dick isn't geoo-
gist. The consequences of West Point
were bad enough; but it would be fear
full if he were forever climbing over
mountains, tumbling down ravines, and
breaking his neck"
LAS thing of habit that would be
fearful" observed Colonel Morton. sar-
donically. 'See here, guide! What is
that tumble-down lot of sheds over
therep"
"Them's O'Donovan's Diggin's over
there"
81 am so glad he has let 60 of my
bridle," whispered Mrs. Morton. ut
did make me so nervous to have him
alongside of me. He looks like IL brig
and"
"They all look like that" said Hen
ry, smiling. "It's in their makeup"
ut seems to me you have gotten two
particularly ill-favored guides" said
Louise.
II hadn't much ch oice in the point
of beauty. These are the only two I
could get to come up the mountain with
me-"
"Did you hear thatp" interposed the
Colonel. "Those diggings over there
belonged to man named O'Donovan.
He came here with his pard, and struck
it rich, right here on the side of the
} mountain. They dug while and then
took in two other men, who came out
and camped with them. 1t was awfully
lonely, and they used to amuse them
selves by gambling for each others
dust They got along very well till the
, diggings began to give out"
"They come down to hard pan all
once" interposed one of the guides.
1.-The hull burned lead fizzled out on
'em, an there wasn't enough dust left
| to turn the scale. O'Donovan, he was
fur clearin' out, when one on em comes
in one day with bagful; but he
wouldn't tell where he'd got it. II
wasn't out O the old diggin's, and they
couldn't find no new ones nowhere this
side the mountain. But every day that
chap d bring in his bagful, put it down
on the table, and say: Now, boys, Lett
see We open Jackpot They watched
him an follored him time an agin, but
} they couldn't git the lay on him; and
one night when he come in with his
+ dust in one hand and the squeezers in
the other, they just up and covered him.
! 1t was tell or die. they said; but Hibbs
wouldn't tell. He jest backed on 'em,
pulled out his shooters, and they he'd il
among 'em. He crawled all the way
down the mountain next day with three
bullets in him, and died without
peachin'. A posse came up an found
three dead men at the diggin's, but
they couldn't find out where Hibbs got
his dust. l reckon this mountain IS
} been prospected more'n any bit O. land
h'yarabouts; but there amt nothing to
I be he'd"
"There is something terribly depress-
ing in deserted miners camp" OBJ
4 served the Colonel. ''Just look at that
' wretchcd hovel there-a blot upon the
. face of natures magnificence-and tell
me what right man has to enact such
, tragedies in such scene"
81 have Observed" remarked Henry
"that the most awful things usually
happen in the places where one would
least expect them. In great cities,
where the battle of life is hand-to.
hand conflict, one expects such Ell.
. counters; but here in this serene soli
r tude, where men have the wide realms
: of nature at their disposal. there seems
$ to be a strange unfitness, special mon
strosity in crime"
"Folks don't trouble the diggin's
7 much now," observed the more loqua.
7 cious guide, irrelevantly. "They dc
, say that Hibbs and O'Donovan and the
1 rest on 'em like that place better'n the
hot place where they are"
: "You don't mean that they haunt it
} do youP" cried Louise.
l $50 they say, miss"
3 "Would you like to investigate it,
Helenp" said the Colonel, carelessly.
mo, THANK you," said Mrs. Morton
, turning her horses head down the
. mountain. II will leave that for ad
: venturous men like Mr.. Dwight
Z The party separated then, the
Colonel and the ladies going back tt
3 Manitou, while Henry and the guides
7 started on up the trail.
, Goodbye" said Louise. smiling
7 back at him. Don't break your necl
if you can help it."
, The words We're flippant, but Henry
Dwight thrilled with the thought thai
t she had minded his danger. HI
watched her ride down the mountain
, bearing her head and supple form like
3 some Indian Princess on her own do
main. Far off in the valley he after.
) ward caught the futter of white
handkerchief. Distance would not al
+ low him to discern whether it was Mrs
, Morton or her sister who waved thai
signal of good-will but Henry pre-
, ferred to think it was Louise, and he
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